A dinner at FareStart is one of THE most special dining experiences you will have in Seattle. This is an incredible nonprofit organization that provides homeless and marginalized individuals with culinary and life skills to help them succeed, and also supplies meals to many area daycares and shelters. The highlight of the Thursday night Guest Chef dinners is the "graduation" ceremony for FareStart clients who have completed the 16-week program and are ready to face a bright future. Moving words from both the client and trainers make it a dinner out like no other. My most recent visit to FareStart was just last night, when friends and I partook in dinner led by Guest Chef Jason Sturm from Alligator Soul in Everett. The meal was an incredible feast of Cajun/Creole inspired creations...not to mention an unreal deal at $24.95, the fixed per person price for Guest Chef dinner. FareStart offers a variety of beverages (including DRY soda and wines) for an additional charge. The waitstaff last night were volunteers from GE and our server was just lovely and really quite adept at managing our plates. As the Guest Chef changes weekly, the kitchen staff fluctuates as clients pass in and out of the program, and the servers are volunteers, not every dish may come to your table at the perfect temperature or at the precise moment you expected it. The people sitting next to us last night were actually grousing that parts of their meal were too cool, and it was all I could do to restrain myself from calling out their jackassery. Given the unique and amazing circumstances of dinner at FareStart, this was one of the best dinners I'll ever have. read more

I made reservations here on a Thursday night to grab dinner with my friend after hearing about the "Guest Chef" night. I highly recommend making a reservation at least a week in advance if you plan on attending and want a good dinner time. I ended up getting a reservation at 6:15pm even though I made a reservation pretty early on in the week. The thing you have to know about this place is that it's a non-profit program and the servers are volunteers. The "students" cooking your food are also people who are given a second opportunity at a new job because of unfortunate events that occurred in their lives before. Now, some of you reading this review probably don't care about it, but I thought it was really touching, especially when they had their graduation ceremony when I was there (which was a complete surprise!). But I wouldn't rate this place 5 stars if the food wasn't good. Every dish that was served was on point, and it came out pretty quickly too. None of the dishes I had were too salty or sweet, and each dish was flavorful. The sauce that was served with the halibut was amazing and complemented it very well. The dessert, a chocolate peanut butter tart, was also spectacular, as it wasn't too sweet. I could tell that the peanut brittle on the side was definitely freshly made and was delicious. The whole meal was well worth the $30. To top it off, the service was great. Even though all the servers were volunteers, they were courteous and probably better than the service I've had at other restaurants where servers were paid. Overall, I loved it here. It's a good place for a date as well, since it's in between casual and up-scale. Plus for $30 for a 3 course meal, it's definitely worth it. read more

I love the idea and concept of FareStart. We decided to go to one of their "Guest Chef" Nights and were curious about the experience and the food. At first, we were ignored for a few minutes until we were asked if we have a reservation (we had one). Then we had to wait for more than 10 minutes until we were guided to our nice table upstairs. Our volunteer waitress greeted us friendly and brought some water and bread. We ordered some drinks and waited for the first course, what gave us the chance to observe the hurly-burly in the restaurant. On top of the slight chaos a film team was maneuvering through the restaurant, filming the scene and interviewing some people. The first course, caramelized baby roots, was interesting and tasted pretty good. If it wasn't ice cold it would have tasted even a bit better I think. The Main course followed shortly after, cooked guinea fowl with the big number of 3 (!) noodles. The taste was really good, but absolutely not enough for a hungry belly. The dessert was a big disappointment for me, I tried it but handed it over to my hungry companion. I really tried to like it. I still go with the concept of FareStart and think about trying their lunch, but for this night I have to say, that I was really underwhelmed. Many people seem to be there to "see and be seen", maybe that's what this evening is for. But paying over 70$ for 2 people and leaving still hungry is not my kind of dining out, even if it's for a good cause. read more

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Farestart is a special place. I was amazed that the interior was sleek, modern, and huge. Great lunch menu with the usuals. Prices are more than reasonable (nothing is over $12, even for the steak entree). The food was good, not great, but the life behind Farestart makes up for it. Great place to take clients or your coworkers. They dont serve alcohol or wine during lunch. The staff is very friendly, knowledgable, and fast. Great views of the open kitchen. Offers take out. read more

Pros: This is obviously a great and needed establishment in the downtown community (plus it's walking distance from my work). I really enjoyed the service from the staff. They were extremely professional and well-trained (obviously) from how they handled all of orders, so I was impressed with that. Also, the decor here is very contemporary. One wall is covered in painted dining plates, and they work well as an art piece. There's also plenty of room for big and small tables. I feel like most people here were on a business lunch. And it was crowded so that is a testament to the quality of the place. Cons: They're only open for lunch. I want to take my friends here for dinner, but that's currently not an option. The quality of food leaves something to be desired. It's not bad food by any means, just pretty mediocre. When I went last week I ordered the rosemary turkey sandwich (which I believe is on their regular menu) and it was just okay. The turkey was very dry and didn't have a rosemary taste at all. It came with a choice of fries or salad and I chose the house salad which was all arugula. My coworkers ordered the catfish sandwich (off of their fresh or specials menu) with the kale salad. It did look more appetizing than my dish and they seemed to like it. I'll give this place another try most likely, because the turkey sandwich may have just been the wrong thing to order. read more

FareStart was a totally unexpected. When I heard that it is a job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals, I figured it would be a dimly lit venue serving an adequate lunch. Boy was I wrong on both accounts - what a serendipity! The restaurant has warm wood floors a high white-washed ceiling and a bank of huge windows that let the light pour in over inviting tables. The wait staff was attentive and pleasant. The food was fantastic! I ordered a cob salad and it's one of the best I've ever had - the freshest ingredients, just cooked bacon, Greek feta and kalamata olives - a welcome change from the usual canned black olives. Everyone's lunch was fantastic from flank steak with sautéed greens and one large onion ring to an Autumn greens salad and homemade soup. I felt like I was in a first class restaurant - and I was! read more

Farestart trains cooks. Waitstaff (at least for dinner) are volunteers. This is a pretty darn savvy combination of fundraising savvy, social consciousness, and outstanding food. The building is located on an odd stretch of not-quite-SLU, not-quite-downtown. Great if you can walk, can be a challenge to park a car or find a direct bus line. Thursday nights are Guest Chef. Chefs from local restaurants donate their time to prepare a special menu--with help from students from the FareStart program. The 16 week program focuses on providing homeless individuals with the skills to work in the restaurant trade. They also provide wrap-around support services--help finding housing, addiction treatment, clothing & tools, etc. There are some great success stories. As a program, FareStart does well. As a restaurant, FareStart is awesome. Fixed price dinner ($25 per person for appetizer, entree, and dessert--each generously sized). Nice wine selection for cheaper than retail ($34 bottle of Le Ecole Semillion). Imaginative menus, well prepared. read more

I think what this organization does for the homeless is just awesome- very Seattle. For those of you unfamiliar it is not only a restaurant but a job-training program for homeless or ex-convicts to learn to work in a gourmet kitchen. So far I've only had their carrot-ginger soup but talk about bang for your buck! $3.50 got me a giant bowl of gourmet pureed soup with a slab of fresh foccacia, and a warm tingly feeling for helping a good cause. I plan to come back for sure and will update. Until then- me likey! read more

The food is better than I expected based on the back story. I had the linguine w/ beef ragu and it was good but not to die for. I mostly like the concept of helping homeless get back on their feet. read more

I really love the concept of FareStart. I've volunteered there in the past and the program is excellent, providing a program and second chance to those enrolled. The location is excellent, downtown and with its own private space. The facilities can be rented out for catering, parties, celebrations, etc. all at a reasonable price. I attended the FareStart Chef Guest Night featuring Chef Hsiao-Ching Chou, Chinese Soul Food. Unfortunately I cannot say I enjoyed this meal. The meat was tough, vegetables lacked taste and the plating of the dishes was not consistent. Being Chinese myself and being no professional cook at all, both my husband and I agree that we could prepare the same dishes better. Our table of 3 each ate less than half of each dish, except for the dessert. First course: Hot and sour soup, with crispy scallion pancakes Hot and sour soup was not hot at all. It was sour. The scallion pancakes were not crispy, they were soft and moist. Second course: Grass-fed beef brisket braised with soy sauce, spices, ginger and garlic. Served with jasmine rice, pickles and aquaponic lettuces from This Is Odd Urban Farm. The beef was tough and it lacked the "hong sao" flavor that was intended. The vegetables consisted of carrots, lettuce and pickled vegetables. The plating of the vegetables was not consistent among our 3 plates as I had very few carrots whereas our friend had almost all carrots and only one piece of lettuce. The vegetables were rather bland. Third course:Almond cake with Frog Hollow peach compote and whipped cream This combination was interesting as I have never had peach before with almond cake. The chef described the cake as being a sponge cake, however the cake was dense and not the typical sponge cake consistency you would find in an Asian restaurant. Nevertheless, I still like the concept of having guest chefs and the business model of FareStart, so I will be back again in the future, probably not for Asian food though. read more

I have been to many of the best restaurants in the city and Farestart definitely holds its own with most of them. My coworkers and I went there today for my boss' birthday lunch. We ordered the goat cheese crostini for all of us to share (there were four of us) and it was fantastic. Mild, creamy, and served with a balsamic reduction. Fantastic. I ordered the scallops and the came perfectly seared atop a bed of very yummy lentils. My only problem was that I received only two small scallops and was charged $14.95 plus tax. The only other dish I tried was the blackened salmon sandwich and the salmon was among the best I have ever tasted. The other dishes, a chicken burger and Chop Chop Salad were well received and thoroughly enjoyed. We are going back in a couple of weeks for my coworker's birthday and I can't wait! read more

Solid stand-by choice. Fare is pretty standard (good, consistent, but nothing that really stands out), but their contribution to the community is great. Worth supporting. read more

I happened up FareStart on a Thursday night during my last visit to Seattle and walked in expecting another restaurant. Here's why it was cool. 1.) There was a guest chef who had students helping him/her 2.) I was introduced to Lemongrass Dry soda 3.) The course was fixed for the night. Perfect because I can't make decisions worth sh*t 4.) Duck was being served. Duck is like chicken doused in LSD and crack. I love it. 5.) Kid friendly 6.) The servers were volunteers from the Starbucks Legal department. For all the money I've spent on lawyers in my life, it's about time they catered to my ass. read more

Seriously, tonight can be described as an exceptional dinner experience. It started off with a heartwarming graduation ceremony for one of the student chefs - no gowns or hats, just some nice words and a presentation of great graduation gifts for the new chef who already have a new job lined up. The servers are volunteers but they've done better than some servers that get paid. The kitchen crew are all students, while the head chef is a guest chef from another restaurant visiting just for one night. The concept is ingenious and generous. But what impressed me is that the restaurant is nothing short of a fine dining restaurant. The decor is warm yet modern; the location is right downtown within view of the Space Needle; the table is set with white linens with the essential items like salt and pepper grinder, candle, and olive oil. The server was courteous and checked with us before bringing the entree and dessert respectively. Onto the food. After all, this is the essence of dining, right? The set menu has 3 courses with a vegetarian option, but we are omnivores so we were happy to have our meat. The beet and pistachio salad was delicious, and they used some spice (probably cumin) in the chutney (or couscous-ish mix) which certainly made the drizzly/rainy night more exciting. The entree was a braised pork cheek with chick peas-- both ingredients were not your standard fare but were prepared well. Pork cheek was very tender and no knife was needed. The only missing piece was some kind of carbs, but the bread they brought before our dinner started was a perfect solution. As for dessert, it was an apple tartin with cinnamon anglaise sauce. The sweetness was just right and the cinnamon was there but not over the top. I had expected it to be warm, which it wasn't, but honestly /I don't know if the anglaise sauce will fare well in the tartin's warmth and that could have been a deliberate decision on the chef's part. It was still a good dessert. So, all this for just $24.95 + tax + tips! And I forgot to mention, tonight's chef was from Bastille, in the Ballard area. Every Thursday night is a different chef so you will never get the same menu. Isn't Farestart worth your try and support? Street parking is free after 6pm too. Sorry, but I'll have to upgrade tonight from "exceptional " to "awesome"! :D read more

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I really hate to give this place a bad review. Can I give it 5 stars for its social consciousness, but 2 stars for its lunch food? I had the pork sandwich. The bread was soggy and the pork was hard. Not good. Now I feel guilty. The service was great. I like the balcony seats. I hear they have spectacular guest chefs. read more

FareStart - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I'm giving 3 stars to be fair. I like the initiative to help student to build a dream, but at the same time I must be honest with my review, otherwise what' the sense of this community? Expensive? well consider that everything you pay goes towards donation, so there is no price for that. Food quality? Arguable. They are students and are there to learn, so it's practically impossible to judge them for what they served... Bottom line If you want to have a dinner to eat some good food, that's not the place to go, if you go there to enjoy the experience and help these kids, it's fine, you can still have a great night read more

Had a great lunch here on a Thursday afternoon. Our server was friendly and prompt with bringing us our food. Everything had great flavor with a nice variety that would meet many diners' needs. read more

We went with FareStart catering for our wedding because we believe in their mission. We had a budget of about $1k. We wanted appetizers, rather than dinner, for the 100 person party and we expressed that. They told us that it would not be enough food for even just appetizers and each person would get a ridiculously small amount. They convinced us to go with about $2k worth of food. And then half of it went uneaten. That was really frustrating because we had wanted the correct amount of food, but went with their suggestion, and wasted our money. Most of that food was stuff that spoiled very quickly, so we could only salvage a little bit. For people who are considering using FareStart, I recommend sticking with your gut. They will try to sell you more than you need. As far as the quality of food, it was alright, I guess. People would make me plates of food, and I wasn't even able to get thru them, it was just unappetizing for me. The guests said it was alright however, so I am going with that description. If I was to do it again, I would probably go to the store and make most of the food myself, which would be similar quality and much lower priced. I wish we could give more stars because I think their mission is good, but the execution was gross. read more

This place is really nice, atmosphere is very relaxed an modern, Coming in, I didn't have much expectation, just getting a quick bite to eat in between jobs.. I was immediately greeted at the door, seated within minutes. The service was really professional, as i was sitting and waiting for the arrival of my food i noticed how the atmosphere of this place was very relaxed, was modernly furnished but yet still very warm and welcoming. The food was good, not AS good as i'd expected it would be while I examined the menu.. but definitely would recommend this place for someone who's looking for a nice downtown experience. The windows are huge and the view to the downtown was very entertaining as i ate... read more

I like the food and staff is always great. Word of caution TIPS are treated as general donations and NOT GIVEN to the staff you see working. read more

Farestart is a wonderful concept and wonderful restaurant. How nice it is to know that you can enjoy a good meal while contributing to a good cause at the same time. One almost feels guilty. I had the blackened salmon sandwich with a lentil & sausage soup. While I don't usually like blackened dishes, I quite enjoyed the salmon - not too spicy as others are for me. And the price! $7.95, plus only $1.25 for a bottomless cup of Starbucks coffee. Not the absolute best food around, but certainly above average and an amazing deal for the price - especially in downtown where I work. I often pay more to eat at the Westlake Center fast food court...and you know what that quality is like. That's one of the reasons I give Farestart such a high rating. The staff is very friendly and the decor is non-pretentious, but hip. I especially like the steel cables that form the bannister for the balcony where we sat and the tall, open beam ceilings. Reservations are painless via OpenTable. The credit card receipt has room for you to make a tax deductible contribution if you like, separate from the tip (which the menu says also goes back into the program). Farestart will be catering my company's reception in about 3 weeks. I'm really looking forward to that! read more

It's hard for me to give them such stars 'cause everybody else' reviews were so great..... Also, they do good deed in this community. Actually, that was my primary reason; wanted to participate in this wonderful cause. Few but quick points I want to make.... 1. However, my reservation was not on the book when I checked in. Embarrassing... fortunately, it was not big deal since there were lots of tables immediately available. 2. I had an impression of the waitress either she was already having a bad day (it was 11:15 am) or she didn't want to talk to us at all:( I almost wanted to ask her if my friend or I did anything to make her upset...... 3. Food was good, not excellent as some other reviewers commented. Tomato soup was somewhat average that we can make at home with good direction. Hamburger was also a little plus side of "good" 4. Best comment about this place was the interior; simple, modern and natural settings. read more

Let me preclude my review by informing you that they do not serve beer or wine here, but for a very good reason. Farestart aims to provide good food with good service from individuals that in some capacity come from troubled backgrounds and are striving to turn their lives around. Great place with good people in a modern and comfortable setting. I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich, ala tonkatsu, with french fries for $9.95. The pork was tender and the meal was very satisfying. Other members of my party ordered the blackened salmon sandwich and the burger, but their reviews were just okay. If I came back here, I would try the vegan options. read more

You can appreciate FareStart not only for its food, but for the mission of the restaurant and organization: to give individuals in need of a leg up a head start in the restaurant industry. The lunch menu has a great mix of options with fresh ingredients reflecting great regular options and delicious-looking specials. I went for the crisp pork sandwich and caesar salad, and I raided my fellow diner's crisp skinny fries. Satisfying meals, tasteful decor, roomy dining room good for larger groups, and wonderful service. read more

Awesome place with a great mission. Delicious food and drinks--had the asparagus salad with blackened salmon and a key lime trifle for dessert--amazing! Wish I lived here and could eat here all the time! read more

Farestart has some of the best eats in Seattle. They make their own veggie patty with a fig spread that is so good. I order it almost every time I go for lunch and I'm not even vegetarian! Everything I have tried there is Dlish! They always ask if you have reservation but I don't and I always get seated with in 5 minutes. Wait staff in training so sometime it's hit or miss with how good your service is. Still by far the best prices for the high quality of food you are getting. read more

One of a kind. The food here is well developed conceptually, well presented on the plate, uses top notch ingredients and most importantly, tastes amazing. I've had several lunches and a few dinners here and I've never been left wanting. Dinners get booked up in advance, so make reservations. The prices for the lunches in particular are a steal. I still think about the amazing scallop risotto and incredible mac and cheese I devoured here. But wait! There's more! If you call now, with no extra cost to you, you contribute to an awesome program that provides hands on training to the underprivileged. But seriously, I hope that this model expands to other cities, I love that such a great idea has been so perfectly executed. Come for the food and so much more. read more

Very yummy gourmet sandwiches for lunch. I'm pretty much a carnivore, but I tried the vegan sandwich cuz it was cheap, and it was soooo tasty. It came with a salmon chowder that was also da bomb. Prices are a little high for lunch and there's a lot of fancy white collar people in there, but it's quality food for a reasonable price and a good cause. I'll definitely be back, probably for the Thursday dinner! read more

I like what Farestart is trying to accomplish and truly thinks there should be more places like this that gives people opportunities to change courses of their lives. I went on a Thursday night with a group of 6-7 people. We were seated right away and the restaurant accommodated last minute request to host 2 more people. The dinner was tortialla soup (vegetarian version for me), cod and tropical fruity dessert. Everything was well prepared. The service has room for improvement, but knowing that the staff are in training, I could see how they would one day become amazing servers. read more

I can't vouch that the food was that amazing, but I absolutely love this place for its mission/concept. First off, parking is just horrible - now that I have gotten that out of the way...lets move on. Came here on a weekday to have lunch with my cousin who was in town. We had reservations, although it wasn't completely packed, we were still instructed to wait for a few minutes. We were led to the upstairs dining area and was greeted promptly by our server. I had the crispy pork sandwich. I found this to be a little on the dry and small side, but for lunch I suppose it was a decent portion. The sandwich did not come with any sides or anything like that, every thing ordered is extra. I suppose it is justifiable because it goes towards the organization. Unfortunately, as much as I love the mission of Farestart, I did not love their food. I really did want to love it so I can come back and donate money as well as eat good food...hopefully it will be improved by the next time I go. The longer we sat, the more people started to come in. So come early if you don't have a reservation! Although the food was not the best (IMO) everyone should go to support such a wonderful and dedicated organization! read more

Great place! I have been here a handful of times in the past and recently had lunch here after their remodel. Always have had great service and I love their online reservation system. I'm really disappointed they took the crispy pork sandwich off their menu. It was my favorite and I got it every time I came. I hope maybe they'll bring it back some day. I tried their Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich which is a seasonal special for lunch a few days ago and it was delicious. Would definitely recommend! read more

FareStart - Seasonal Special: Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with fries - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What a great experience! Not just the food was delicious, but the program behind it all is over the top! I'm glad I could be part of it! With my company! read more

I am probably nicer because this restaurant has such a positive message and benefits the community. But even without all that warm and fuzzy stuff, the restaurant is a success. The food is simple enough, yet tasty and priced just right. Soups, sandwiches, pastas all make great lunches (I've never tried the dinners). Service is quick and the food is prepared quickly, which is perfect for busy working-types. Only negative: I've tried twice to volunteer with them and have never received a response. read more

Got take-out from here today.... a couple BLT sandwhiches... Quite good... I think we still have one whole leftover. The meal was on the expensive side.... after tip/donation, 2 sandwiches without drinks were almost $30. a walk down to Whole Foods just down the street on the way to the park a couple blocks away... and we had a nice lunch... heck.. the seattle weather even cooperated. read more

Meeting my wife here for lunch, we shared the grilled salmon and flat iron steak. At $11.25 each, the presentation and quality were what I would expect paying upwards of twenty dollars for elsewhere. The steak was cooked well; medium-rare on the rare side atop a bed of mustard greens in a cream sauce topped with onion rings. My wife enjoyed the salmon which was in a citrus sauce also atop mustard greens with orange slices. If I were to offer a piece of advice, as odd as it sounds, be wary if wearing black. The particular napkin I had was extremely linty and much of that lint was transferred to my pants. read more

We were visiting Seattle for a conference at the Westin and needed a quick lunch. Reservations were easy to make on open table even for a large group, and service was quick and friendly. Most importantly, my roasted beets salad was probably the best beet salad I've tried anywhere (and I eat a lot of beets). The portion was definitely filling yet I didn't go into food coma in the afternoon. I also had tomato basil soup which was nicely flavored although it wasn't special. Definitely recommend for any visitors in a hurry yet still in need for a quiet meal in a professional/business setting. read more

FareStart - Roasted beets salad with apple vinaigrette dressing - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Well, I've driven past this place every day for years now and always have seen the place filled ... and so I finally decided that it was time to go try the food! Well, to start of with this is a place you want to support because they truly are doing some amazing things for others. So regardless of how my food or experience was, I plan on returning simply for what they are doing. The "Yippees" 1) Staff are uber-friendly 2) Prices are CHEAP for Seattle 3) Amount of food you get is great 4) Water glass was always kept full 5) Waitress was helpful but not pestering - good thing 6) The split pea and ham soup was fantastic 7) They are quick! (quick in, quick with the food, and quick with the return of the check). The "Ehh"s 1) I got the crusted pork sandwich with potato bread and aeoli (sp?) and it really wasn't anything to shake a stick at (however, I think it's fair to say that my co-worker got the same sancwich and she loved it). There was some good flavoring there but the pork was just tasteless. It had a good panko style crust but there was no flavoring on th epork. I was disappointed. Overall - I'll go back because there are some other things that I wanted to try and my food wasn't terrible...so maybe I just need to find something that they are really good at. read more

I love this place. I have gone to guest chef night many times now. You are able to look up online who the chef will be and what restaurant they normally work for, then plan your reservation accordingly. Last night was a great meal with a parsnip soup with brioche croutons as the starter. Then for the main course kobe beef short ribs. Beautiful. Then an ooey gooey chocolate cake. I don't expect the waiting staff to be exactly brilliant, as they are just volunteering. But I have not had an inconsiderate waiter yet. I have never been disappointed in the food, because it has always been up to par if not spectacular. This is a great feel good restaurant. If I am able to plan a place to go on a thursday evening in the city I will strive to go to farestart. I can't say enough great things. Also very well priced to have a meal thought up by some of the best chefs in seattle. read more

This place was great for lunch, and their carrot ginger soup was one of the best soups I've ever had...like evar. Also, you're doing something good for your community, so...yeah. Good for you! Eh... Whatever, the place is delicious. read more

Visiting here from LA and found this place on Yelp. Good location, right in downtown, simple decor but nice and cozy. The service was great, got good right away... I had the field roast sandwich which was amazing, the fig sauce was my favorite part. My boyfriend got the pork sandwich which was also incredible. Extremely impressed especially after reading the story on this place. Certainly exceeded expectations and I would recommend/come back to this place in a heartbeat! read more

FareStart - Cuteness! - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington